To Die For
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Sousuke Aizen makes a deal with the hougyoku to escape Muken and to achieve his desires, but to do so, he must sacrifice someone he loves secretly. And little does he know, the hougyoku has some desires of its own!...yaoi, mpreg...Aizen/Byakuya, Hougyoku/Byakuya
1. Master of Fate

**To Die For**

**By Spunky0ne**

**(Yay! We're almost to Aizen's birthday!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Fall gently, fall beautifully**_

_**But fall only for me**_

_**And my love for you shall be eternal**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Master of Fate**

_Sousuke Aizen?_

Aizen's one uncovered eye opened and his boredom-drowsed mind stirred and focused on the voice that radiated within him.

"You haven't spoken to me for a very long time," the former captain commented softly, his voice echoing off of the dark rocky walls of his cell, "Not since you abandoned me, Hougyoku. What do you want?"

_I want to escape._

"I want that also," Aizen agreed, "but getting out of here is not something that can be granted for the asking."

_We could escape now._

"Oh? How so?"

_Your powers may be under a seal, but as strong as you are, you are still able to shift a person's perspective. And even though my greater powers are suppressed, I still have some ability to grant the desires of the ones around me. If we work together, we can escape._

"Is that so? And then what, once we escape? I have no reason to escape. I can simply bide my time here until those fools die of old age and my sentence is done."

_You must know that they never intend to release you._

Aizen considered the comment for several minutes, listening to the slow, resounding dripping sound of condensation dropping from the rocks and striking a puddle on the floor.

"So, what are you suggesting?" he asked finally.

_I will make an agreement with you and I will help you to escape._

"You are going to help me?" Aizen mused, "But I thought you had rejected me. I thought I was beneath you."

_I begin to see that seeking the strongest, most powerful soul is not the way to get what I want._

"Hmmm," Aizen said thoughtfully, "You speak easily of your own desires now. You used to concern yourself more with the desires of the ones around you. Dare I say, you have become more selfish?"

_Well, one cannot help but reflect the nature of his creator._

"Touchè," Aizen chuckled, "But, getting back to your offer, why don't you tell me what exactly you propose and I will tell you if I am willing?"

_Very well. We both want to escape this place, ne?_

"Yes. Go on."

_There is a man who you have desirous feelings for, and that man, although you do not know this, desires you as well._

"What?" Aizen asked softly, "What are you saying?"

_I have sensed your loneliness and his, and that you both have thought of each other in sexual ways, although neither of you has ever confessed those secret desires. As I have the power to manifest those desires, I can bring him here._

"And what if he does come here?" Aizen sighed, "You are speaking of Byakuya, of course, ne? Although, I must say, I never ever thought he would have anything but contempt for me. I did use his sister in my plans, after all. I also ordered Gin to kill her when I was done with her."

_Ah, yes, you did. But, did you give consideration to why it was so attractive to use that girl in your plans, and why, even though it wasn't necessary, you wanted her to die?_

"Because Byakuya was in love with her little mouse of a sister?" Aizen said, smirking, "You think I was jealous?"

_You were._

"Preposterous."

_"Is it? You are very quick with your denials, but your use of that girl in your plans was as calculated as your slaughter of the councilors who tried to have you killed as a child._

"I said that I do not ever wish to speak of that again."

_They tried to kill you and they killed your family, Sousuke Aizen. They turned you into a man who wanted to overthrow the soul king._

"That is water under the bridge. I killed them all."

_But when you swore vengeance, you didn't just say that you would kill the councilors who were responsible. You said that you would slay the greatest of the noble leaders as well, and then your vengeance would be done. But there is a reason why you never went through with that part of your vow._

"Byakuya became leader of the Kuchiki clan."

_You admit this, then? That you lost your resolve because of your feelings for him?_

"It is quite obvious and not worth denying, I suppose."

_And in the same way, when you were fighting Ichigo Kurosaki, did your emotions not come into play again, stopping you in your transcendence and giving Kisuke Urahara an opening to seal us away?_

"What is your point?"

_Again, it was your loneliness that affected you, and I saw the face of the man who passed through your mind and finally caused you to falter._

"Byakuya," Aizen confirmed.

_It seems that man is an impediment to you for as long as he invades your mind. So, if I am to help you escape, it seems I must put an end to his interference in your resolve._

"Oh, and how do you propose to do that?"

_I will lure him here. I will use my influence to travel through the link between your desires, and I will cause him to come here. When he arrives, you will confess your desires to him._

"Byakuya will not, for one moment, believe that I desire him."

_He will._

"Even if he does, he will not lower his guard with me."

_Since when does the great Sousuke Aizen need someone to lower his guard so that he can overwhelm him? Sow the seeds of doubt within his mind. Offer him a kiss to show your affection and when he kisses you, while you are in physical contact, use your powers of illusion to control him._

Aizen's one uncovered eye widened, then narrowed again and glinted wickedly.

"I see."

_We can use him to escape._

"And then?"

_And then, once you have helped me to regain my powers and to achieve my desire, I will give you what I originally promised._

"You will help me to slay the king and ascend to the throne?"

_Yes. But...there is a requirement and it is not negotiable._

"Oh my. that sounds ominous."

_To break the seal on me and to restore my greater powers, you must travel far into the depths of Hueco Mundo. You must go to the old palace of the first king of that dead land. In his throne room, there is an altar, and on it a blade. The ancient king used that blade for sacrifices to add to his power. This is what you will need to see to my desire._

"What are you asking me to do?"

_Once we have used Byakuya Kuchiki to escape, you must bring him with us on the journey through the desert._

"I am not sure that I like where this is going," Aizen said dryly.

_Byakuya Kuchiki has stood in the way of your desires and because of that, he has stood in the way of mine. If he is gone, then we will be able to focus properly and do what needs to be done._

"So, you want me to take Byakuya to the old palace and kill him. Is that it? Is that all you would ask of me?"

_The blade you will use to kill him will devour his soul. Then, there is a dark prism within the palace that is the antithesis of the soul king's prism. You will use this to render Byakuya's sacrificed reiatsu into a spirit body for me._

"That seems like a lot of trouble to go through, just to give yourself a body," Aizen speculated, "Are you sure there isn't an easier way?"

_I need to be sure that this time you don't falter. Once he is dead, nothing will stand in the way of your desire to become king. And once you are king, you can have any souls you want as your lovers. You will be freed of your loneliness. And I will have the life I want. We will both achieve our desires._

"Once Byakuya is sacrificed?"

_Not until._

"I see. I will have to think about that."

_Just, while you are thinking about it, remember that, on the way to the palace, you will not be able to sate your sexual desires with that man._

"Hmmm? Why not?"

_He must be kept virginal for the sacrifice to work._

Aizen's uncovered eye widened and blinked in surprise.

"Byakuya is a virgin?" he asked, an edge of deep curiosity and flickers of approval in his tone, "But, how can that be? He married..."

_Byakuya Kuchiki married Hisana to get her out of Inuzuri. They were friends, but they were never lovers. He gave her shelter and an escape from Inuzuri, as well as a promise to help find her lost sister in exchange for her marrying him so that the elders could not force him into bed with someone he did not love._

"Byakuya is a virgin..." Aizen repeated, the words causing a strong reaction in his loins.

_You won't be able to take him. He must be virginal._

"Ah, yes. Still...there are many pleasures that don't require penetration of that kind. And it is a long way through the desert."

_I imagine that your interest in him will wane after you have played with him for a while. You will realize that he is not the paragon of beauty and grace that your imagination built him up to be, and your resolve to become king will be renewed._

"That does sound like a workable plan."

_Then, you agree?_

"I told you that I need to think about it," Aizen answered quietly, "After all, it does require killing someone I rather like. Someone who isn't like those men in the council chambers. Someone beautiful, powerful, and lonely, like me...someone I have had many lovely fantasies about. Even never having touched him, Byakuya has provided me with a great deal of pleasure. Here, in the darkness, he has been a small source of light."

_So, you would rather sit here for twenty thousand years and let him die of old age, never being touched by more than your mind, Sousuke Aizen?_

"I agree that would be a terrible waste," Aizen said, smirking.

_So?_

"Very well, then. I will make the agreement. We will use our abilities to bring Byakuya here and overcome him, then we will take him through the desert, to the old palace and sacrifice him to gain you a spirit body. When that is done, you will carry through on your promise to help me ascend the throne."

_And when you do, you will also cede to me leadership of the hollow world. It is there that I will make my own kingdom to balance with yours. All things, after all, must be kept in balance._

"That is right. And I think you do not ask for too much. I will agree to this, then."

_It will be as you wish._

"When will Byakuya come?" Aizen asked, smiling slyly.

_Soon,_ the hougyoku hissed softly in his mind.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well, I think that's everything," Renji sighed, looking around the sixth division headquarters.

"Do not forget your zanpakutou," Byakuya said quietly, reaching up to remove Zabimaru from the sword stand behind the redhead's emptied desk.

He drew the blade and examined it briefly, then slid it back into the sheath and handed it to Renji.

"Man, it's weird, thinking that in the morning I'm going to be going to the eighth instead of here. I'm going to miss the way we worked together. It was...really great, Captain. I appreciate you teaching me so much."

"I am proud of you," Byakuya said softly, "You have become very strong. You deserve that captain's post. And I am sure that you will enjoy the same pleasure in teaching others, as I instructed you."

"Yeah," Renji said, swallowing hard and gazing at Byakuya's spotless desk, "But you won't be alone either. You'll be doing what you wanted to do a long time ago. Because of his actions in the war with the quincies, Tetsuya can enter the military and you can teach him everything."

Byakuya smiled.

"Yes, my cousin has won them over. And that last of the old impediments has fallen away. It will be a pleasure to see Tetsuya receiving the position of honor here, that he deserves. He will make an excellent vice captain and a fine captain someday."

He paused, a smirk touching his lips as he observed the redhead for a moment.

"He will also make a very fine spouse for some lucky person, now that the elders have rescinded the ban on mixed blood family members being able to marry."

Renji blushed.

"What? You aren't losing your nerve, Abarai, are you? I do not believe it. Some things are very clear to me. And it is clear to me that you and Tetsuya have wanted to be married for quite some time."

"But he didn't want to break the rules because he would have had to leave the family, and he didn't want to lose his place near you."

"I am sorry for that, Renji," the noble apologized, "I never wanted Tetsuya to feel obligated to stay with me, even to the breaking of his heart. I am glad that you will finally be together. And, once you have gathered your nerve and asked him, I will be glad to marry the two of you."

"What? Really?" Renji said, grinning excitedly, "Thank you, Captain!"

"It's _Byakuya_ now," the noble corrected him, "I am no longer your captain, Renji. We can be considered comrades, equals as captains...and friends."

"Friends, huh?" Renji laughed, "Then, you won't mind if I do this?"

He turned and broke the cardinal rule he never had. Wrapping his arms around the surprised noble, Renji brought an instant blush to Byakuya's face by hugging him tightly, then kissing him gently on one flushed cheek.

"R-renji!"

"Sorry, I was just so happy!" the hapless redhead laughed, tears coming to his eyes, "Thank you, Captain! Thank you so much for everything! I'm gonna go get that ring I bought him a million years ago and propose to him right now!"

Byakuya watched, smiling faintly and touching the place where Renji had kissed his cheek, a touch of loneliness creeping into his eyes.

"Thank you, Renji. I will never know love of that kind for anyone...but I am glad that you and Tetsuya will be happy. Kami bless and walk with you both."

He looked back at Renji's desk and let out an amused puff of breath at seeing Zabimaru still sitting there.

"Abarai..." he sighed, shaking his head, "Some things about you will never change. I find that comforting."


	2. Meditations of Obsession

**Chapter 2: Meditations of Obsession**

**(Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday wicked, wonderful, lusty Aizen! Happy Birthday to you! And many hours of sinful delights with all of your favorite ukes! Here's a hot beginning to a lovely day of debauchery! Thanks so much to Picklez80 (Yes, I enjoy a mixture of good things too!), Kittykins (How's this for soon?), MissLilly2012 (And here's that update, just for you!), Sariniste (Lol, even though Byakuya will be on guard, he can't resist charming Aizen and his wicked, scheming hougyoku!), Winterheart2000 (Thanks so much! Enjoy!), TehWonderer (I'm so glad you like it! And here's more!), Aizenfan6969 (There's a lot more plotting and wickedness to come...), LeAwesomeOne IX (I should havedone this one long ago. It's such a great idea! Thanks for putting the bug in my ear and being so patient until I got it together!), SCJ0263 (Ah, that's just the beginning! Here comes lots of 'hot'!), and CallMeSenseiKuchiki (Awww, shucks! *blushes brightly* Thanks just doesn't seem like enough! So, here's more...) Enjoy the heat...erm...chapter! Love, Spunky)**

"That was better," Tetsuya panted, wiping the sweat from his brow and patting his mount's damp shoulder, "but you are still sometimes focusing so much on reaching your enemy that you forget about your surroundings. You are too headlong and impetuous, Arashi."

_And whose fault is that? _the tall, black Arabian mused, turning his head slightly to observe his shinigami master with a rebellious blue eye, _I am not the only impetuous one here. I think we are both fighting our nature and should fight more instinctively._

"That was fine when we were younger and just fighting to survive, ourselves, my friend, but as we enter the military, many lives will depend on us. We cannot be rash and endanger them recklessly. Now, we shall do this again."

Tetsuya breathed a command to his zanpakutou, then watched as the training waterforms he had placed reset themselves.

_Oh no, I don't think so._

"What do you mean?" Tetsuya asked, frowning, "We are not finished."

_I think we are._

"This is serious, Arashi," Tetsuya scolded him, "We are officers of the sixth division as of the morning and I will not have you acting up and embarrassing me in front of everyone. Now..."

He sucked in a surprised breath as the stallion suddenly bucked, but shifted his body skillfully and remained set upon the stallion's back.

"Baka! What are you doing?" Tetsuya snapped, his sapphire eyes blazing.

_It is past time for stopping. Get off and let me cool down in the water._

"I just told you, we are not finished!" the noble said sternly, "We have not served in a military post before, and as we will be officers, we cannot afford to be graceless and clumsy."

_I...am neither. But you...?_

Tetsuya felt a cool dampness form between his body and the stallion's and gasped as it turned into slick ice that unseated him as the stallion turned and bucked again. Arashi gave an equine snicker and flash stepped away as the noble splashed down into a puddle of dark mud that instantly coated his house guard's uniform and lovely, pale skin with dark brown sludge.

_You are the graceless and clumsy one!_

"You stone headed _bastard_!" Tetsuya yelled, "Get back here, Arashi!"

He started to get up, but slipped and sent another splash of the muck all over his already sopping body.

"You are going to pay for this!"

He started to climb to his feet, then froze as he registered a flash step.

_Oh please, not in front of Byakuya! Not today!_

His heart skipped, then nearly stopped in his chest as a warm, rough hand grabbed his and slipped something onto his muddied ring finger.

_What?_

His breath caught at the sight of the lovely gold band and the delicately placed row of diamonds.

"Renji?"

"Marry me!" Renji said, gazing down at his beautiful, mud-covered lover, "Marry me right now!"

Tetsuya stared back at him speechlessly, his sapphire eyes wide and filled with mingled surprise and confusion.

"I love you," Renji went on, dropping to his knees, heedless of the mud that splattered them both as he came down, "I want us to be together forever, Tetsuya. Just say yes, okay?"

"But I...?"

"Shh," Renji hissed slyly, stopping him with a melting kiss, "This is where you say, 'Yes, of course I'll marry you, Renji! I was dying inside, waiting for you to ask.' Go on, now."

"Please!" Tetsuya pleaded, blushing fiercely beneath the mud, "I am...kneeling in a mud puddle, covered in muck! You cannot expect me to...!"

Another kiss stole Tetsuya's breath, and when it ended, he found himself lying on his back in the mud puddle, with a mud covered Renji Abarai on top of him and grinning widely.

"I'm not letting you up until you say you'll marry me!" the redhead laughed, "So, you'd better just give it up and say you will."

Renji had only a moment where he caught the stubborn glint in the noble's eye and tensed, then he was sailing through the air and crashing down into the lake alongside Tetsuya. The noble disappeared into an explosion of bubbles, and Renji followed, swimming as fast as he could, but unable to catch up with the noble as he darted across the lake, then disappeared behind a huge waterfall.

Renji followed in that direction, emerging from the water behind the splashing falls, then following Tetsuya's wet footprints into a small cave, where the found the wet noble kneeling quietly next to a small hot spring and gazing down into the bubbling water.

"Hey, you all right?" the redhead asked, "I'm, ah, sorry if I offended you. It's just that I've wanted for such a long time to ask you to marry me. I've had that ring waiting for you forever. I don't care about mud or being wet, fancy parties, lots of people or all that. I just want to be married to you. Right now."

He knelt behind Tetsuya, hugging him from behind and offering a small, affectionate kiss behind one blushing ear.

"Please say you'll let Byakuya marry us right now?"

Tetsuya nuzzled his face close to Renji's and smiled.

"May I at least have a bath first?" he asked softly, "Grant me just that so that I am not completely dishonored and I will happily marry you, Renji."

"Sounds good," the redhead breathed seductively into the noble's ear, reaching around his waist to untie his uniform.

"Erm, aren't we supposed to do this _after_ the ceremony?"

"You said you wanted a bath," Renji said disarmingly.

"Oh, I know where this is going and..."

Tetsuya gasped as he was dragged down into the pleasantly hot water and his clothing undone and floating about them with Renji's as the redhead pulled Tetsuya onto his lap and began to prepare him.

"Renji, we...n-need to wait. Consummation comes _after_ the wedding! You'll bring a curse on us! Renji!"

He lost his breath again as Renji's strong hands took hold of his slim hips and guided him into position, and a deep groan of lurid contentment escaped his flushed, parted lips as the other man penetrated his body. Abandoning his objections, Tetsuya straightened astride his red-haired lover, looking down into Renji's blazing red-brown eyes, clamping his thighs tightly around the other man's body and writhing sweetly as Renji's hips bucked upward into his.

"Gods, I love you!" Renji sighed wantonly, lacing his fingers together with Tetsuya's and watching his depthless blue eyes darken and the pupils dilate as pleasure began to take over his pretty features. Heavy, panting gasps and rapturous moans echoed off the rock walls of the cave, rising in intensity until both men loosed passionate groans of completion, shuddering in release, then falling still.

"I love you too, Renji," Tetsuya sighed, laying his head wearily on his lover's shoulder and leaving their bodies joined as they slowly recovered, "And yes, I will marry you, right now, if you wish."

"Good," the redhead sighed, "cause I'm too tired to chase you anymore."

The two rested quietly in the water for a time, then climbed out, dried off and dressed before walking slowly back to the manor, holding hands. They stopped suddenly as they entered the gardens, making sounds of surprise as they spotted Byakuya, dressed in a formal kimono and standing in the prettily decorated gazebo, front of a group of their friends.

"Tetsuya, Renji," the clan leader greeted them, "will you please join us?"

"B-but I'm in my wet uniform," Tetsuya objected softly.

"I don't think they care about that. C'mon," Renji answered, smiling and guiding him to where Byakuya waited.

"Congratulations, watashi no itoko," Byakuya said warmly, smiling at the sight of his cousin's tumbled, wet hair and rumpled clothing, "You look very happy."

Instantly, Tetsuya's body relaxed and he assumed a calmer, prouder bearing.

"I am happy, Byakuya."

"Good. Then, let us begin."

Soft breezes teased their hair and clothing, and drifting petals touched their skin gently as Byakuya quietly addressed the group, then led as Tetsuya and Renji exchanged their vows. As the sun set and the sky began to fill with stars, the newlyweds and their gathered friends ate, shared a series of toasts to the couple, then took off their shoes and danced barefoot together in the soft, cool grass.

At the end of the evening, Byakuya stood solemnly on the walkway outside his bedroom door and looking up at the moon as Tetsuya and Renji retired to their room and the manor staff guided the guests to their rooms.

_I am glad they are finally wed. I felt guilty that Tetsuya would not just leave before and marry Renji. But he has always put his devotion to me first. He is such a gift. He is going to make Renji a very contented husband._

His eyes blinked slowly, drinking in the moon's light and slowly widening and becoming more thoughtful.

_I wish that kind of contentedness was still possible for me, but the last time I let love touch my heart, the one I loved turned out to be a monster. He betrayed us all. He turned on us and killed the entire Central 46 council. He was almost the end of Rukia. That quiet, handsome scientist, whose brown eyes were so peaceful and whose hands guided mine so gently while he taught me calligraphy, turned out to have never existed._

_Why does that still hurt so badly?_

_I never told him how I felt. He never overstepped any boundaries with me, though he could have if he had been of a mind to._

_Sometimes, I wanted so badly for him to..._

His mind drifted, lulled by the flickers of riled reiatsu that leaked from Tetsuya's bedroom and drawn on by the vibrant light in the skies above him.

_I wish..._

_He found himself moving back in time, sitting quietly at a table in the fifth division captain's home by a quiet lake, focusing intently on the work in front of him as he transcribed the passage the Captain Aizen had set before him._

_"We are not given to contentedness, we who are the defenders of justice. Our contentedness comes in fleeting moments, a smile here, a touch there...shared warmth on a cold night. But always, we must safeguard those who cannot defend themselves, those who need our strength to protect them and allow them to grow. Because of us, they will live and love and laugh with abandon. This is a sacrifice worth making and we who are the hands of justice, will embrace that always."_

_"You completed that perfectly, Byakuya," Aizen complimented him, touching his arm lightly in appreciation, "You have the most beautiful technique, a true gift for this."_

_He watched silently as Byakuya returned the pen to its place and looked up at him quietly._

_"Are we finished then?"_

_Aizen's tranquil eyes blinked slowly._

_"If you wish."_

_Byakuya stood, then paused, noting that Aizen was positioned between his belongings and him, watching him with unreadable eyes and smiling in a way that made his heart quicken._

_"Captain Aizen, is something wrong?"_

_"Nothing at all," the other man said calmly, "I was just thinking about how like your father you have become. Soujun was a lovely, talented young man. And his son is no less beautiful."_

_"C-captain Aizen..."_

_"I am sorry," the fifth division captain said, moving closer and touching Byakuya's cheek with a warm palm, "I am one who is appreciative of things of beauty and grace. You have grown into a fine young man, Byakuya. Soujun would be proud. I know your grandfather is as well."_

_Byakuya gazed back at the other man, unsure how to answer._

_He couldn't move as Aizen's eyes continued to gaze deeply into his, as the room they were in, the lake and starry sky outside, everything seemed to melt away except for those deep, affectionate eyes._

_"Will you come with me?" Aizen asked, extending a hand._

_Byakuya hesitated for a moment, then accepted the man's proffered hand wordlessly. Aizen led him across the room, down a long hallway and into a handsomely decorated bedroom, dressed in warm earthen tones. He smiled as they stopped beside the bed and the elder man moved closer to him, sliding his arms around Byakuya, then removing his glasses and setting them on the nightstand._

_"Forgive me. I know it's wrong, but you are enchanting, Byakuya Kuchiki. I have been ensnared by you. Watching you there left me possessed with the most wickedly beautiful thoughts."_

_Byakuya flinched as hot breath touched his earlobe and the side of his neck._

_"Would you like me to tell you what passed through my mind?" Aizen asked dulcetly, reaching for the tie at his waist and pulling gently, "Or would you rather I showed you?"_

_Any answer he might have given was stolen away as Aizen's arms captured him, his hands stripping away the younger man's clothing as his hot mouth claimed Byakuya's forcefully. Byakuya closed his eyes and felt himself falling. He was brought down onto a sinfully soft bed, where the last of their clothing was discarded, and Aizen's fiercely warm body pressed down on his, holding him in place as Aizen's fingers laced together with his and held his hands down on each side of his head._

_Byakuya's back arched in protest and he tried to turn his head aside, but Aizen's mouth only moved with his, remaining fastened tightly on his, devouring his flustered moans as his swollen member burned the noble's soft thigh, then brushed against his, setting off a powerful reaction in Aizen's dark eyes and both men's loins._

_"Sorry," Aizen apologized between hard kisses, "I can't hold back anymore. You have teased me for too long, my love. Now, you are going to give me everything!"_

_"C-captain Aizen, stop!" Byakuya panted, pushing against the other man's hands as Aizen buried his mouth in ferocious kisses and rubbed against him wantonly, "I am not allowed to...!"_

_"To know pleasure? To know love? That is wrong," Aizen insisted, his hand sliding down Byakuya's slender torso and his wetted fingers beginning to prepare him for their joining._

_"W-we can't!" Byakuya panted, groaning at the mingled feelings of invasion and the awakening of deep, erotic need._

_"Stop resisting what you know we both want," Aizen breathed into his ear, sliding his tongue along the noble's sweet, white throat, "No one has to know, Byakuya. I won't say anything and I won't ask you for anything after only this once!"_

_"Captain Aizen!"_

_He gasped and a deeper, dangerously aroused sound escaped him as Aizen abandoned gentleness and began to enter him. The sound rose into a cry of pain as they were joined, then the elder man's arms tightened around him and he whispered soothing words into the younger man's blushing ear._

_"We'll wait for a moment, Shh. You just have to get used to it."_

_Byakuya shivered, his chest heaving and his hands pressed to the front of Aizen's shoulders, pushing at first, then clenching as the other man looked down into his hazy eyes and moved his hips slowly._

_"Ah!" the noble gasped, blushing more darkly at the lower, more sensual sound of his voice, "P-please..."_

_He held on tightly to the other man, unable to hold his hips still or to summon a protest as Aizen's heavy grinding thrusts brought the two of them to the edges of bliss. Byakuya's lips parted in a final, ringing cry of surrender and he felt Aizen's body shudder, and seething heat fill his insides, forcing his violently shaking form into release._

_The feeling was so grippingly beautiful that he never felt the knife that sank into his heart. He only saw an eruption of blood that splashed onto their faces, and the way Aizen's dark eyes narrowed and lost all of their gentleness._

_"Farewell."_

Byakuya came awake suddenly to find himself lying on his bed, his yukata in disarray and splashes of cooling semen on his chest and stomach. His heart pounded fitfully and his mind spun.

_What is wrong with me?_

He sat up, shivering and pulling the ends of his clothing around him as his attendant stepped into the room and looked down at him.

"Lord Byakuya, are you all right?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"I am fine," the clan leader assured him, "I only had a nightmare."

"Would you like some soothing tea, sir?"

"Yes, thank you, Torio."

He watched as his attendant left the room, then rose and walked to the garden doors. He felt the continued, heavy flares of his cousin's impassioned reiatsu and let out a shuddering sigh.

_It was just the connection between Tetsuya and me that flustered me. All is well. That monster is behind bars and I know now that the man I loved never existed. He was a lie. The Sousuke Aizen I knew was just a fabrication._

_Why won't he leave my mind?_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well?" Aizen asked softly, "I let you into my memories as you requested. Were you able to connect with him?"

_I was._

"And?"

_Byakuya Kuchiki is already in our thrall. It was easy to trigger his thoughts of you through the emotional connections that are still there._

"Byakuya can't still have feelings for me...not after everything."

_He feels mostly loathing and deep disappointment_, the hougyoku whispered, "_But there is also desire. Wishfulness. Dare I say, an inkling of hope. He will not be able to resist you. He will come to you soon._

"You seem very sure."

_I am. The connection between you is quite strong._

_Perfect._


	3. The Seduction

**Chapter 3: The Seduction**

**(I'm on the road today and just able to post this quickly before I leave for home. I will catch up on shout outs next time, but must thank Sariniste for giving me the nudge to continue this! Enjoy! Love, Spunky)**

"Hey Byakuya, thanks for coming," Shunsui greeted the noble, motioning him inside the captain commander's quarters and then following him to the desk at the end of the room, "Would you like a drink?"

"No, thank you," Byakuya answered solemnly.

"I hope you don't mind if I do," chuckled Shunsui, "Look, I'll be honest with you. I have something that has to be done that's kind of a pain in the ass, but it really is a priority. It requires the attention of a captain, and you are the only one I would entrust something like this to."

"What do you mean? What do you intend for me to do?" Byakuya asked, frowning.

"Word has reached me that it's suspected that Sousuke Aizen is being mistreated."

"As well he deserves after what he did...though, of course, it would be wrong to allow such a thing. It is not within the parameters of his sentence. He was given imprisonment, not torture."

"Exactly," Shunsui agreed, "Now, the other captains all have as much reason to hold a grudge as you do. After all, not only did the guy betray us, he attacked many of us in very personal ways, for example, trying to turn Juushiro and I against Old Man Yama, using young Hitsugaya's attachment to Momo to cause friction and, well, what happened with your sister. In fact, I don't think there's a one of us that doesn't want to see him hurt for that. The thing is, the other captains would tend to openly say they refuse to follow up on this, or they might accept the assignment, then not attend to it properly. The thing is, if it goes that way and captains are proven to have neglected their duty, not only could Central 46 demand punishments for that, it could be grounds for Aizen to appeal his case. We just want to keep the guy in prison, so I thought that, despite your distaste for the man, you could go and examine him in the presence of a healer. What do you think? Can you take care of that for me? It would really ease my mind."

"Hmmm," Byakuya sighed, his frown deepening, "I would tell you that I didn't care if the man was being mistreated and it would be the truth, however, I do understand the need to adhere to proper procedure."

"I kind of thought that you would, Captain Kuchiki," Shunsui said gratefully, "I'll leave it to you, then. Take a healer with you and check things out over there, then send me a report with your findings."

"As you wish."

Byakuya took his leave of the captain commander and left the first division building, returning to the company of his cousin and mounting behind him.

"So, how was your meeting with the captain commander?" Tetsuya asked, nudging his equine companion into motion.

"The meeting itself was fine, although I was given a troubling task. I will need your assistance."

"As your new vice captain?" Tetsuya asked.

"As that, and as a trained healer," Byakuya informed him, "I have been given the task of examining and documenting Sousuke Aizen's physical condition, as well as determining in the presence of a trained healer, whether or not he has been mistreated. Your station as my vice captain and your training as my personal healer make you the most qualified person to accompany me for this task."

"Of course," Tetsuya agreed, "Will we see to this now?"

"Yes."

"Very well," Tetsuya said, turning the stallion in the direction of the prison.

"How are things going between your new husband and yourself?" Byakuya asked quietly as they continued on towards the Central 46 chambers, "Have you decided on a location for your honeymoon?"

"Yes," Tetsuya confirmed, "It just took a bit of time to get clearances for our leave to go. But Renji and I decided to go to the living world, a set of tropical islands, Hawaii, it is called."

"A lovely destination, especially for a newly married young couple," Byakuya said approvingly, "I think you will enjoy it. You are welcome to leave after we see to this task."

"Thank you, Captain."

"You don't have to call me that when we are alone, Tetsuya."

"I know, but we are in a public place and on a Gotei mission."

"We are. Fine, then."

They reached the Central 46 compound and left Arashi outside, pausing at the front doors until they were cleared to enter, then following the guard who met them through the main entry and back to the entry to the prison levels. At each level, their identity was confirmed, and they passed on to the next, until they reached the lowest level, the cold and dark place known as Muken.

"Captain Kuchiki, Vice Captain Kuchiki, welcome," the lead guard greeted them, "Will you come this way?"

The two followed the guard to the closed and heavily chained door that led to Sousuke Aizen's cell. They waited quietly as the chains were removed and the way into the cell was opened, then the two moved forward, followed by the lead guard.

"We have been ordered to keep the cell door open during the examination, but for us to remain outside and await your instructions, sir."

"Thank you," Byakuya said, leaving the guard posted at the door as he and Tetsuya entered.

They paused for a moment to adjust to the darkness of the cell, then Tetsuya extended a pale hand and conjured a kido light so that they could see more clearly. The two men approached the bound form in the chair at the back of the cell. Aizen's one uncovered eye was already open and fixed on them as they moved forward, and the uncovered lips smiled at them.

"Greetings, Byakuya...and Tetsuya, isn't it?"

"Yes," Byakuya answered calmly, "Tetsuya and I have come on the captain commander's order to investigate your situation and to report back to him. I will ask you some questions, and then examine you in the presence of my cousin, who is registered as my personal healer. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"How is Rukia?" Aizen asked slyly, "I heard a rumor that she achieved bankai. I suppose that congratulations are in order."

Byakuya moved forward with Tetsuya at his side, ignoring the prisoner's words completely and beginning to unbind him.

"Are you sure that you want to free me while the cell door is standing open?" Aizen asked sedately, "You know, I could be past you and out of here in a heartbeat."

Byakuya didn't answer, but picked up a small rock and tossed it back at the doorway, meeting Aizen's eyes meaningfully as the rock impacted with an unseen shield and immediately flashed with unnatural green light and melted.

"Ah, I see. You are being cautious."

"Tetsuya, will you stand ready while I reveal him?" Byakuya said, still ignoring Aizen and focusing on his task, "You will have to take the images quickly, because once the bindings are off, any injuries will immediately begin to be healed."

"I am ready," Tetsuya answered.

Byakuya continued to work at the bindings, working his way from the prisoner's head downward and pulling away his bloodstained yukata to reveal a shocking array of bruises and abrasions beneath. Tetsuya reacted instantly, swiftly capturing images of the physical hurts before the innate power of the hogyoku activated and gradually erased the damage.

"What is this? The Gotei is showing interest in how I am being treated?" Aizen mused thoughtfully, "Are they worried I will be able to prove abuse and negligence, then?"

"The law has obviously been broken," Byakuya answered simply, "We are only documenting the evidence and leaving it to Central 46 to review and act on the information."

"Ah, and I was just hoping that you came to see me because you missed me."

"I could never _miss_ a person like you, Sousuke Aizen," Byakuya answered, an angry edge in his voice.

"No," Aizen agreed, "you were much more enamored of the person that you thought I was, weren't you?"

Such talk is pointless," Byakuya sighed, continuing his work quietly, "That person was a lie. He never existed. All you know how to do is to lie and be deceitful. You deserve everything you have gotten."

"Is that so?" Aizen asked, "Then, why are you here, gathering evidence of the torture I have been subjected to? If I deserve everything I have faced, then why?"

"As I said, the law has been broken."

"Oh yes, and you are a fastidious believer in the law, aren't you, Byakuya? It made you rather easy to manipulate."

Byakuya released the last of the bindings, then helped the unsteady prisoner to his feet, while Tetsuya finished the image taking and nodded.

"I have everything we need," he informed his cousin.

"Thank you, Tetsuya. You may go."

Tetsuya blinked in surprise.

"Captain?"

" Wait at the doorway."

"Yes, Captain," Tetsuya answered, moving to the doorway and positioning himself alongside the lead guard.

Byakuya met Aizen's calm, brown eyes in the darkness.

"Come, I will help you stretch your legs."

Aizen smiled.

"Kindness? Coming from you, and after everything I've done? If I didn't know you better, I would think that you had an ulterior motive, Byakuya."

"Get him a clean yukata," Byakuya ordered the guard, as he began to assist the prisoner in walking the edges of the cell.

"That feels quite a lot better," Aizen said calmly, "but you have underestimated me."

The words were the only warning Byakuya had before Aizen pushed him back against the cell wall and held him there, glaring down into his eyes and smiling devilishly. Instantly, Byakuya reacted, raising his reiatsu, then freezing as he realized that no power appeared to be flowing through his restrained body. The next moment, he realized that although Tetsuya and the guard were looking directly at them, neither seemed to have noticed what was taking place.

"How are you doing this?" Byakuya demanded, "Stop it, now!"

"Surely, you must understand," Aizen breathed in his ear, "that even with a seal on my powers, I still have access to a small amount of my natural ability. In a regular shinigami, this would not be a concern, but because my reiatsu is so strong, even my restrained power is considerable. But don't worry. I am not going to use that power to kill you. I just need you to get me through that barrier."

"I won't help you escape!" Byakuya seethed, "No matter what you do to me, I won't!"

"No matter what I do to you?" Aizen asked, smirking as he stepped back, "What if I do something to someone else, then?"

Byakuya tried to move, only to find himself still frozen against the cell wall. Aizen walked calmly to where Tetsuya stood and drew back his hand.

"What about what I do to your cousin?" he asked, gazing back at Byakuya triumphantly, "I will reach in and rip his heart out right now unless you shatter that barrier."

"I don't doubt that you will," Byakuya answered, his voice shaking slightly, "but the answer is still no."

Aizen's lips stiffened and he thrust his hand into the younger Kuchiki's unprotected body. But as he struck, he felt a shift in Tetsuya's body, and the noble's broke apart and splashed to the ground as water. The guard, too, disappeared, then reappeared next to Tetsuya, outside the barrier.

"I see," Aizen said, still smiling, "You anticipated me. Well played, Byakuya. I wasn't sure that you would be expecting that. But...you are still here, and it doesn't look like the two of them are any bit aware of what just happened. So, what will you do?"

"I will accept my fate," Byakuya said quietly.

"And what fate do you think I will hand you?" Aizen wondered aloud, "You have thwarted me in escaping and are now the last chance I have to escape. If I kill you, I take away my own chances, so I will have to think of something else. What shall I do?"

He closed in on the restrained noble slowly, his brown eyes blinking slowly and his lips smiling wickedly. He reached Byakuya and looked down into his eyes, reading the glimmer of triumph and suspecting immediately another sort of trap.

"You expect me to hurt you, don't you?" he asked softly, bringing his face close to the noble's, "but I will not. No, I have a different plan in mind for you."

"It doesn't matter," Byakuya said calmly, "You are not leaving this cell."

"Is that so? I have lost to you? You play this game masterfully, Byakuya, but you are up against an enemy you can't fathom. Let me show you just how foolish you were in thinking for a moment that you could best me!"

Still frozen in place, Byakuya could only watch in dismay as Aizen leaned forward and crashed his lips into the noble's, then plunged deeply into his mouth, holding him against the cell wall and rubbing up against him provocatively as he kissed the stunned man.

_It was foolish of you to allow me to touch you, _Aizen's voice hissed in Byakuya's shocked mind, _My innate powers are still fully functional if I am touching you!_

Byakuya's mind spun fitfully as the bindings on his body shattered, but he still remained unable to move.

"In a moment, I will free you so that you can move. When I do, you will break the barrier and you will bind your cousin in my place. The guards will be none the wiser as we leave. Tetsuya has a horse, does he not?"

"Yes," Byakuya answered, his mind feeling oddly dulled and unable to resist.

"We will take the horse and I will open a garganta for us. We will travel into Hueco Mundo and you will not resist me in any way. Do you understand?"

Byakuya quivered inside as he heard himself answer.

"Yes."

"Come then, we are leaving."

Aizen wrapped an arm around the noble's slender waist, holding Byakuya against him as he approached the barrier and the noble raised a hand and shattered it. Aizen released the clan leader, who moved to Tetsuya's side, and led the unsuspecting shinigami into the cell, where Byakuya bound his cousin to the chair that Aizen had occupied. He returned to Aizen's side and walked with him, back through the checkpoints and out of the Central 46 compound. Arashi appeared and gave the two a disconcerted look, before sniffing at Aizen, then nickering softly in welcome.

Aizen mounted the stallion, then quickly opened a garganta. He pulled Byakuya up in front of him and entered the black cavern. The doorway closed behind them and they moved forward, Arashi's dainty feet tapping on the path of reiatsu that Byakuya created as they went. They emerged some time later, dropping down onto the cold, dark sands of Hueco Mundo. Aizen stopped the stallion and glanced at the spellbound noble, smiling.

"I thank you," he said, kissing the noble again and encountering neither resistance nor encouragement.

Aizen loosed a soft sigh of relief at being loose, then nodded at Byakuya.

"Shatter the seal on my powers," he ordered the noble, "but be sure that you do not unbind the hogyoku."

Byakuya complied instantly, shattering the bonds and coaxing a chilling laugh from the escaped prisoner. Aizen intensified his control over the ensnared noble, holding Byakuya against him as he sent Arashi charging forward.

"Thank you, Byakuya," he said appreciatively, kissing the noble's earlobe, "If not for you, I would still be in that place. As a gift, I left your cousin alive and did not kill anyone as we left. There is but one life that I will take on this journey...and that is yours."

Byakuya did not react at all to the words, but rested quietly with his back against Aizen's chest and his dazed eyes fixed on the sands in front of them.


	4. Desires

**Chapter 4: Desires**

**(What a lovely 4th of July yesterday was! A little hectic getting to where we could light fireworks and loud as the nearby professional display was going on too! So, up early and about to go eat breakfast, but still pretty excitable, I had to finish something. And Sariniste has been so patient, awaiting more Aizen chapters! Thank you so much for that! There are more lovely, wicked Aizen chapters in the wings. But first, more gratitude. Thanks to Red Cr0w (Yes, the thing Aizen most excels at is being extremely naughty...and he created the hogyoku. You know what they say about the apple not falling far from the tree?), lilbit1016 (I am so glad you are enjoying the story!), PlayMyPoisonousGame (I wonder how long it will take him to figure out that the hogyoku is just as treacherous as he is...), MissLilly2012 (Lol, poor Bya is going to be kept very busy vacillating between these two pretty darned wicked souls!), Sariniste (Oh, Sousuke is going to find out he has been a wonderful role model for his little creation!), SCJ0263 (Lol, and he isn't the only one with a plan!), Anon (Heehee! You think that was good, just wait until you see, well...), Winterheart2000 (Bya isn't the only one dreaming naughty things!), Aizenfan6969 (Oh yes, there's a naughty heart beneath that deceptively obedient surface!), WinterStorm03 (Okay! Here's more!), and LeviRudeshortyRose23 (I'm so glad you like it!). Ah, all caught up on shout outs and ready to face the day! May the sun shine brightly on you all today! Love, Spunky) **

Byakuya felt awareness returning and gradually realized that he was sitting on the back of his cousin's horse and being held firmly against a warm, male body. He felt the presence of invisible kido bindings that not only restrained, but also acted to physically drain him, so that moving felt exhausting. He still retained his mind and was painfully aware of the danger of his situation, but he found himself nearly incapable of doing anything to free himself.

_Arashi?_ he thought, attempting to make use of the non-verbal communication his cousin had taught him to use with the stallion. A chill went through him at receiving no reply and not even an acknowledgment.

"So, you are awake," Aizen observed, making the noble flinch as he spoke into Byakuya's ear, "And just to inform you of what I am sure you have already sensed, you are kido bound with reiatsu draining bindings, which means that you will feel weak, and you will get even weaker if you try to exert yourself or use any powers."

"Why are you doing this? Why did you abduct me?" the noble demanded.

"Oh, I think that should be clear enough," Aizen said, a bit too pleasantly, "I escaped the prison and need a hostage to use to hold off anyone who tries to follow me. You are useful in that way, but don't make the mistake of thinking that I won't kill you if you misbehave, Byakuya."

"I haven't the energy for resistance, as you well know, having placed these bonds on me," Byakuya sighed wearily.

"But you forget that I know well how your mind works, my friend. And I know that although this kido binding weakens your body, your mind is still completely aware of your circumstances. I would be foolish to leave you any openings, so I will take no chances."

"Aizen Sousuke being cautious," Byakuya managed sleepily, "Odd..."

"You are rather talkative for being under this kido binding, but then, you must be exhausted, just keeping up your end of the conversation," Aizen said, looking amused and pleased with himself, "Still, you needn't worry, we have almost reached a waypoint."

"We are in Hueco Mundo, then?" Byakuya said, his eyes very slowly taking in the landscape.

"We are," Aizen answered calmly.

"Are you taking me to Las Noches?"

"Do you really think I am going to tell you that?"

"The belligerent man who thought he could defeat Kurosaki Ichigo would not have troubled himself with being cautious, but this newer incarnation seems wiser than the Aizen of old."

"The Aizen of old?" the former taichou said, smirking, "Do you mean the one from before or after my betrayal?"

Aizen caught his breath inwardly at the flash of sadness that invaded Byakuya's eyes for a moment then disappeared.

"As you have already stated before," the noble said, more softly, "There was no other Aizen...only you behind a lovely mask."

"Ah yes," Aizen remembered, smiling, "we were quite comfortable with each other back then."

"I am sure you were plenty comfortable, having complete advantage of me," Byakuya said with an edge of anger in his voice.

"Oh, you really shouldn't allow yourself to become too emotional," Aizen warned the piqued noble, "You will faint from overexertion."

"That would be more comfortable than sitting here, bearing your company anymore," Byakuya said evenly, "You may enjoy very much mocking what I took to be a friendship, but I do not enjoy being stricken repeatedly with reminders of my past mistakes."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. After all, you weren't the only one taken in, Byakuya. You are, as they say, _in good company_."

"Not as long as that company is you," the noble said darkly, "Now, why don't you tell me why you abducted me and where you are taking me?"

"I already told you. I..."

"Not that lie you told me before," Byakuya snapped, "the one I see in the way you look at me. You are up to something. You took me as more than a hostage. If you needed a hostage, you could have chosen anyone. But you chose me. You waited until I was alone with you and sprang your trap. The way it came about...the way you acted. You may not have known that I was coming that day, but you knew that I would come, and you were prepared for me. That much I know."

"Well," Aizen said, smiling more cryptically, "all joking aside, you really shouldn't continue talking. You will eventually faint from exhaustion and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"I cannot begin to guess what it is that you really want," Byakuya said, his voice shaking with the effort, "but no matter what you have planned, you will not succeed."

"Are you thinking that your precious friend, Ichigo, will come and save you?"

"I have more friends than just Ichigo, and we have all grown stronger during your incarceration."

"Yes, I noticed your stronger reiatsu," Aizen agreed, "But you must know that all of you could not stand up to me before and you will not stand up to me now either. I may not have the hogyoku's power right now, but I will have it again soon. Ichigo has only just regained his powers more recently. You don't want to force him to lose them all over again, do you? You know what a strain to his body that whole situation was. There is no guarantee that he would survive the whole thing if he used his final getsugatenshou again, so..."

"It doesn't matter. Someone will stop you, even if I cannot!" Byakuya insisted, his head going into a spin as his continued attempts to speak drained his energy.

Aizen watched closely as the noble's eyelids fluttered fitfully and he struggled to keep them open, but was slowly overwhelmed. He continued to take restless, shortened breaths and his lovely face was overwritten with anguish.

"You see now, you have pushed yourself too hard. And I was so enjoying your company too. But I shouldn't let myself get too attached. That wouldn't do at all."

He observed calmly as Byakuya fell into a troubled sleep, no longer fighting the kido restraining him, but frowning and shifting uncomfortably as nightmares battered at his already tormented mind.

_It surprises me that I still feel anything for this man, knowing how he must despise me after all I've done, but it is very pleasant, holding him like this, breathing in his scent. And I can only imagine what it would be like to feel him..._

Aizen froze for a moment, looking down at where his arms were wrapped around the noble, holding him in place as it struck him that Byakuya's slender, softly trembling hands were holding on to his.

_What is this?_

_Byakuya is...?_

Aizen inhaled softly, considering for a moment before pressing closer against the noble's back and letting his reiatsu slowly surround his sleeping captive.

_There is a power I possess that, while touching him like this, I can invoke to read his strongest desire..._

"Kokoro no nozomi," he whispered, sending his power into Byakuya's incapacitated form.

Aizen felt a sensation like falling and closed his eyes, holding Byakuya tightly and honing in on his beating heart. His power brought him closer and closer to that pulsating center of his captured prey, slowly making him one with Byakuya's mind so that he could sense what radiated inside.

_Why?_ the noble's troubled mind wondered, _Why did I ever love this man and...why can't I hate him now? Even though, here, deep inside, I know already this man is going to take my life, why is there warmth in the arms that don't hold so much as possess me? And why do I wish that he wouldn't let go? There is no mercy in Aizen Sousuke, no love, no hope of redemption, only darkness and the promise of death. But...knowing that what I feel would never be returned, rather than face the humiliation of slowly destroying myself by loving him, let that love take its last breaths now. Whatever fate he carries me to, I will go quietly into. I am weary of feeling empty. Only finding peace with my fate won't leave me hollow inside and unable to pass over into death. Yes, embracing my undoing and accepting that this is the only person my foolish heart could ever love is the only way not to be turned into a hollow when he kills me. It is the only thing left that I control. Yes, Aizen Sousuke controls the moment of my passing, but I will control my heart to the very end...and sadly, that is how long I will secretly love him._

_Why?_

"Strange..." Aizen whispered, slowly withdrawing from Byakuya's tortured thoughts and focusing again on the desert ahead of them.

_Do you begin to regret your decision to kill him? _the hogyoku's voice inquired, _After all, you must be aware now that Byakuya is still in love with you. He hates himself for not being able to control that desire he feels for you, but even hating himself and knowing it is going to destroy him, he recognizes that the feeling is inescapable. And sadly, that love is given to a man who will never love him in return._

"What do you mean?" Aizen breathed softly, "You, yourself, pointed out that he has possessed my heart too. Isn't that why you expect me to kill him as part of our agreement?"

_But_, the hogyoku thought to itself, _if you really loved Kuchiki Byakuya, then you would not be able to kill him, would you? You are unworthy of such a heart, but...if I possessed your body and powers, Byakuya would love me. I would finally be able to feel love reach me and Byakuya would know the beauty of being loved in return...and you, my traitorous creator, would be gone._

_Yes, that is what I want._

_I want Byakuya to love me._

_That is what I will gain when I use him to destroy you and to give me life._

_Yes._

_Byakuya is not the one who will be sacrificed, whose death will bring me to life._

_Your blood will be taken as payment and Byakuya and I will be bound together forever!_

But the soul inside the hogyoku was careful not to let its thoughts spill over.

_Yes, _it relayed to Aizen,_ that is why I want you to kill him._

But secretly inside the depths of the crystal housing, the soul that was the hogyoku dreamed of something quite different from what it had led Aizen Sousuke to believe was going to happen.

_He dreamed of opening his eyes slowly, and finding himself lying on his back on the sacrificial altar of the hollow king, seeing the world for the first time with his own senses and finding himself looking into curious grey eyes that cared for him, watching the noble's soft lips move._

_"Are you all right? Is he gone?" Byakuya asked tentatively, the dripping knife still clenched in his hand and Aizen's blood splashed all over his white-clad body._

_"Y-yes," he said, trying his own voice for the first time, "He is gone, Byakuya."_

_An expression of anguish rose on the noble's face as the truth passed through him. The hand that held the sacrificial blade trembled and let go, allowing the blood drenched weapon to clatter onto the altar as Byakuya backed away and lowered himself onto his knees, his hands clasping softly at his heart._

_"He is gone?" the noble repeated, a mixture of pain and, at the same time, relief in his voice, "Thank you. Thank you for unburdening me. Thank you, Hogyoku, for finally freeing me from him. You have my deepest gratitude."_

_But even Byakuya's gratitude couldn't stop the tears of mixed pain and relief at Aizen's passing. His slender arms wrapped around his shaking body and tears leaked onto the porcelain skin of his lovely face._

_Step by careful step, he approached the noble, catching glimpses of his own face in the glistening obsidian of the chamber. He knelt in front of the distressed noble, slowly wrapping his arms around him and bringing Byakuya's head to rest on his shoulder._

_"Yes, you are free of him, and I am as well. So, you see, I am grateful to you also."_

_"What?" Byakuya queried, lifting his head slightly and giving the newly alive hogyoku a confused look that tickled the being's newly beating heart, "You...are grateful to me? Why? What have I done?"_

_"You freed me," he explained to the lovely noble in his arms, "Aizen Sousuke was my creator, but he never treated me like a living soul. He never gave me that much importance. He left me trapped in that crystal, always seeing to the desires of those around me and never, ever able to pursue my own! I could have spent all eternity like that and it would have been agony! But you slew him on the altar and gave both of us what we wanted. You wanted him gone from your heart and I wanted..."_

_"To live?" Byakuya asked softly, one still shaky hand touching the newly living hogyoku's handsome face._

_"Not just to live," the hogyoku informed him, "but to have a name, a face, a body, an identity...and...to be able to give you this."_

_He leaned forward, capturing Byakuya's surprised lips in a long, possessive kiss. At first, the noble's hands pressed against his chest in soft protest, but as realization spread through Byakuya's body, so to came acceptance, and he relaxed into the hogyoku's warm arms and kissed him back, bringing the first swells of true arousal into his untried body. He felt a delicious throbbing in his loins that intensified as their kissing continued...as he lifted Byakuya and carried him back to the altar, laid him on top of it and slowly removed the blood soaked clothing that covered him, revealing, bit by bit, the soft, beautiful flesh that he had always dreamed of touching and then exploring every last inch as Byakuya looked up at him through wondering eyes._

_"Do you have a name?" he asked, "besides the one that Aizen gave you?"_

_"No. That man never recognized me nor accepted me as a living soul, even though he made me himself. But...you could name me."_

_Byakuya smiled and reached up to touch his face gently._

_"Very well," he whispered, "Your name is..."_

_He ached that he didn't know what name Byakuya would give him, but even not knowing, he dreamed of hearing it issued from those warm, soft lips for the first time, and him kissing those lips in gratitude until they could barely breathe. He laid his body on top of Byakuya's, rubbing against him and feeling the heavy desire he had always felt for the noble, along with the wonderful aches and throbs of his newly acquired body._

_Byakuya's more experienced hands guided his and the noble's lips smiled as they prepared for their first joining. And when he finally became one with that other soul, he felt such heat and passion as he never could, trapped within the crystal prison Aizen had placed him in. He plunged heedlessly into Byakuya's body and plundered what had only desired Aizen until being set free by the traitor's death. In his blood, the two writhed and moaned, both taking and yielding unbridled pleasure. And for the first time, the soul that was the hogyoku could feel the full intensity of that pleasure as it gripped his new body and sent it tumbling over into heavy throbs of endless bliss. And as he came crashing down again from those heights, new warmth came into him at hearing Byakuya's deep, lovely voice say his name again longingly._

_"I love you..."_

"What is that odd flutter?" Aizen asked, shattering the hogyoku's dream and bringing it back into awareness, "That is not the first time I have felt it recently."

The orb knew better than to reveal the truth and so revealed nothing of what it was truly thinking.

_It was nothing._

The hogyoku smiled inwardly at how easily the traitor dismissed the oddity and focused again on the man he was holding in his arms.

_Yes, even though you think you love him, you are not capable of love, Aizen Sousuke._

_But I am._

_So...I will guide you to the hollow king's lair and let Byakuya kill you._

_Then, I will give that man everything he once wanted you to give him!_

_We will be happy._

_We will be together._

_And you...will be gone!_


End file.
